Joint



Jan. 4, 1949. AQSCHQFIELD 2,457,836

JOINT Filed April 20, 1945.

INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 4, 1949 mm. Halon A. sti ma, Sari (2 m; rr ioa ionArzlt to, 194:, n w 5392233 g (c ao-41.5)

\ This invention relates to a: ioih whcrohr or shelving. iurnituro. etc... can to. hold together securely, the inventi n lacing meta especially applicable to the construction o tables. ta. titl lining glass panels as parts of tholr construction An object of tho invention is to provide an expansihlo joint element. which, whoa tishtcaod in proper position, will chart a. clamping itiflfi upon a panel or the like positioned with n one end portion of the joint thereby avoid ng tho danger or breathing the glass o othcr malaria being secured.

a still further object isto pro ide a J'Qlllh the parts of which can he looaonsd easily or the purpose or removing and replacing annals. etc- With. the. rereading and other obiocts in visw which will a pe r as the descrintion pr ceeds. the invention consists of certa n. novel. details of construction and combinations o parts horaln= after more iuliy. d acrlhsd and p t d ut n th claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arr t parts without departing from. thespirit of th invention as claimed. e v

In the accompanying drawing the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a section through a structuralmemher having an expansible clamping elemgnt positioned loosely therein. I

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the clampin clement secured tightly in position and utilizcd ior holding glass annotate the structu element.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modified structure.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of structuralelements provided with the clamping means shown in Figures 1 and z. v

Figure 6 is a top plan view ofanother modification. a

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates a structural element which can be made of wood or other suitable material, and can be of any desired proportions. In the present instance this structural element is in the nature of a post or leg substantially rectangular in cross section. In one face of this element there is provided a recess 2 having end shoulders 3 which can be disposed at any angles desired relative to the longitudinal center-of the element. In the present instance, they are parallel and at right "angles to the longitudinal center of the the sheuldors i sufl ciaat distanscs to receiv fie statcorralv element: The inner sur asa oi raters is not straight from and t and. hat h s a tran vorsa intsrmedia c r des 4. f m w ich he bottom at the, nicest di e ge in ardly r asswarcilr toward the shoulders Thaoia nnins: element llustr ted i Fi ures 1 and a comprises an elongated block the length or hich s. somewh essthaa the leng h 0? the recess a That. face i h clamp ng lamen is n ar st th s1 e t 9. th

has nitrates 5 ca to -singtoward ea h o he a an angle less than tha iorrned hr l s divtrg ag suriaoes of. the 2 th t whoa the v.1?- ins dentist is Plat d i the w taet-thsrawith enlr en s ai the demise eloinont. whila betw en. said on s t e parts wil be spaced a rt as clearly 1-.

Wham ha clampin elem nt is its norma shape, as. in Figu e .2. it ends are erased m panels I. or the like to ho assembl d with th t tural sla -mat in the lust ated QQYi Q the-so pane are iorm d of glas b t b ou they ould be made o oth r matarials such as woodplastic, eta

In ssembling the stru ture. t e ane s 1? are insortod in he and port ons f ti t ac ess 2 ita which thorn-raping cleme t 5 i plac d in pos tion thor bet aen. T is clam ing c m nt ha a seatral open ng I wh ch is d i ned to rscai a screw 8 which is dr ven into the el ment As the scre is tig ened the clam ng lamen is pressed bass i to he ac s 9 o Pause the sur aces 5 to approach th divergin faces of the recess 2. Consequently, the clamping element 5 will become slightly elongated and this elongation will be sufficient to cause said element to press firmly against the inserted portions of the panels P and bind them against the shoulders 3.

Instead of utilizing a one-piece clamping element as shown in Figures 1 and 2, said element can be made of end members 9 to be positioned in the respective end portions of the recess I0. Those ends of the members 9 nearest to one another are beveled as at II. A wedging block I! having beveled ends, is insertable between the beveled ends II and is adapted to be held to the structural member I3 by a screw 14 or the like. Obviously, after the panels P have been placed in position within the end portions of the recess I0, the clamping blocks 9 are inserted in the recess with the wedging block or element I2 between and, by tightening the screw Hi, this wedging block can be drawn toward the inner wall of the recess 4, thus forcing the clamping blocks or end members 9 firmly against the panels P so as to secure them in position.

It is to be understood, of course, that the structural element I can be of any desired shape. They can be substantially rectangular, as shown in Figure 4, or cylindrical, as indicated at in Figure 5, or triangular in cross section as indicated at 16 in Figure 6. In every case, the panels can be held thereto by either of the means which have been illustrated in Figi'11es1-3'inclusive.

It has been found that this structure is espe cially useful where mirrors, glass panels, etc., arei'i to be assembled with different type of ,struc; l5 tural elements, such as the frames'an'd/or' legs of tables, the connecting strips or supports, of 1:: shelves, etc.

What is claimed is:

1. In an article of knock-down furniture a 20 structural element having an elongated recess terminating at opposed shoulders, the inner wall of the recess having surfaces converging to a peak, whereby the recess gradually increases in depth from said peak to the respective shoulders, panel elements bearing against the respective shoulders and extending straight into the recess, spacing means interposed between the panel elements and positioned in the recess, said spacing means having a recess the walls of which converge along straight lines at an angle of lesser degree than the angle of the converging surfaces of the'first-named recess whereby, when the said spacing means is positioned in the first-named recess and between the panels, the middle portion thereof will be spaced from the peak in the first-'- named recess, and means accessible between the"- panels for drawing the middle portion of the recessed spacing means toward the inner wall of the recess in the structural element, thereby to 40 distort the spacing means and expand it longitudinally to bind upon the inserted pan-els.

2. In an article of knock-down furniture a structural element having an elongated recess terminating at opposed shoulders, the inner wall of the recess having surfaces converging to a peak, whereby the recess gradually increases in depth from said peak to the respective shoulders, panel elements bearing against the respective.-. shoulders and extending straight into the recess, spacing means interposed between the panel elements and positioned in the recess, said spacing means having a recess the walls of which converge along straight lines at an angle of lesser degree than the angle of the converging surfaces of the first-named recess whereby, when the said spacing means is positioned in the first-named recess and between the panels, the middle portion thereof will be spaced from the peak in the first-named recess, and means accessible between the panels for drawing the middle portion of the recessed spacing means toward the inner wall of therecess in the structural element, thereby to distortithe spacing means and expand it longi- 'tudinally'to bind upon the inserted panels, said :accessible means being adjustable to release the compression on the spacing means to permit .natural retraction thereof in the direction of its length.

3. In' an article of knock-down furniture a structuralelement having a longitudinal recess the inner wall of which has diverging flat faces merging at a high point in the recess and disposed :at an obtuse angle to each other, panels extending into the end portions of the recess, the end'walls ofthe r-ecess providing gripping shoul- "ders for engagement by the respective panels,

spacing means interposed-between the panels and seated in the recess, said spacing means having a recess the walls of which converge along straight lines to form an angle oflesser obtuseness than the first-named angle, whereby to space the middle portion of the inserted spacing means from the 'high point of the first-named recess; and' an adjusting means accessible between the panels adapted to draw the middle portion of the spacing means toward the inner wall-of the firstnamed recess, for distorting the inserted means to' bind'the panels against the "respective shoulders and for releasing said panels from the binding action, said panels being extended straight 'into the recess between the shouldersand the spacing means. 1 HAZEN A."SCHOFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of. record in the ,file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name i Date 530,314 Wil liams Dec. 4, 1894 1,407,250 Burnett Feb. 21, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 203,204 Switzerland 1939 

